A.N: Hello again, everyone! Here is the second day of Naegiri Week 2021 with the prompt "Little Things"! Please enjoy!
Day Two: The Little Things You Do
"Hiya, Makoto!"
The Ultimate Lucky Student turned around and noticed Sayaka smiling and waving at him. He smiled back.
"Hey there, Sayaka. How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry about little old me," she said, opening the fridge and grabbing a sandwich. "I just thought I'd come have a snack before dinner tonight."
Makoto nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, I'm just making a cup of coffee for Kyoko. She's asked me to meet her in her room to play some video games, so I thought she'd be happy if I brought her something."
"Aww… You really are adorable, aren't you?" the bluette teased. The Luckster blushed in embarrassment. "Kyoko is lucky to have you, Makoto. You're always so considerate."
He scratched his head. "T-Thanks, Sayaka… I'm just trying to be as nice as I can… I mean, Kyoko deserves it. And as her boyfriend… I need to do all these little things for her."
"Tee-hee…!" The pop star giggled sweetly, ruffling Makoto's hair playfully. "Maybe, but not every guy would actually do it." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "The two of you are a wonderful couple. I mean, it seems obvious now, but you're an absolutely perfect match. Always treasure her, okay?"
Sayaka… The look on the blue-haired girl's face was a mix of emotional, friendly, and very serious. Makoto gave a decisive nod. "I will, Sayaka. I always planned to."
The Ultimate Pop Sensation smiled, almost the way a proud mother would smile to her son. She removed her hand before taking a bite of her sandwich, leaving Makoto to wait as his girlfriend's coffee brewed.
The fact is, Makoto used to have a pretty big crush on Sayaka — and in hindsight, what teenage boy didn't? It had been difficult for him to learn that she didn't reciprocate his feelings, but this had never harmed their close friendship — and Sayaka had always supported him and Kyoko getting together.
In a way, Makoto still loved Sayaka very much, albeit not romantically. Knowing she was always there to give him some advice on how to make Kyoko happy made him realize she meant a lot to him.
"Well, I'll let you deliver this to her, then," she told him, swallowing a mouthful. "Tell her I said hi, okay?"
"O-Oh, alright!" He waved as Sayaka left the kitchen. "See you at dinner, Sayaka!"
With the pop sensation gone, Makoto watched as the last droplets of coffee fell inside the mug, the scent tempting him, although he reminded himself that it wasn't for him.
Well, to bring this to Kyoko now! I hope she likes it!
Somebody knocked, prompting Kyoko to look up from her novel and turn her attention to the door. She expected a knock sooner or later, so she wasn't surprised.
It must be Makoto…
The Ultimate Detective stood up from her desk and went to open the door. She was greeted by her boyfriend's smile and the enticing smell of Civet Coffee.
"Hey, Kyoko!" he cheered. "I made you a cup of coffee. I thought you'd like it!"
Kyoko's cheeks flushed pink as she accepted the mug of steaming hot coffee. She pressed a chaste kiss to the Luckster's cheek.
"Thank you, Makoto. I really appreciate the gesture," she said. "But please, come inside."
She got out of the way and let her boyfriend enter, closing the door behind her. Bringing the mug to her lips, the girl's taste buds enjoyed the aroma of her favorite type of coffee.
"I met Sayaka in the Dining Hall before coming here. She asked I said hi for her."
"Ah, that is very kind of her. Did you talk a bit?" the detective asked out of curiosity. "I don't mean to intrude."
"No, it's fine, don't worry," he assured her. "We did talk a bit, although not about anything in particular," he lied, thinking that telling her about what he and the Ultimate Pop Sensation had talked about would be bragging.
She nodded, not questioning it — which was a miracle in and of itself, considering how easy to read the boy could sometimes be. Instead, she just drank some more of the coffee he had brought for her.
"So, how are you doing, Makoto?" Kyoko asked, sitting right back at her desk, having just turned the chair around. "Actually, no need to tell me. This smile of yours tells me all I need to know."
The Luckster scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I couldn't hide my good mood even if I wanted to, could I?"
"Not to a Kirigiri Detective, at least," she joked, taking another sip of her coffee. "More seriously, I'm happy to see you, Makoto. I know we last saw each other only a few hours ago, but I always feel better when you're close."
It was Makoto's turn to blush red, as he stammered, "T-Thanks, Kyoko… Hearing this makes me happy…"
She smiled kindly at him. There was something in the way Makoto spoke and acted that always made the girl's heart melt. He was just too adorable to resist, and Kyoko considered herself extremely lucky to be the one he loved.
"No need to thank me. If anything, I should be the one to thank you, Makoto," she told him very humbly. "You brought something in my life that I was lacking before." She fiddled with her braid with her free hand. "I couldn't be thankful enough, actually…"
"D-Don't say that… Y-You're overexaggerating…"
Kyoko shook her head before finishing her mug of coffee in one fell swoop before setting it on her desk. She joined her boyfriend who had gone to sit on her bed before she took his hand with her gloved one.
"Are you questioning how genuine my feelings for you are, Mr. Naegi?" she scolded playfully.
"N-No, I-I would never-"
She silenced him with a sudden and passionate kiss on the lips, bringing him closer to her. This took Makoto by surprise as his eyes widened, not expecting his girlfriend to nearly jump on his lips. She wrapped her arms behind his head, messing with his brown hair as he reciprocated the kiss, his hands stroking her back.
They pulled away after a bit, looking at each other lovingly, and somewhat embarrassedly. This happened every time they had a kiss that was a bit more than a simple quick peck on the lips.
"You just do everything right, Makoto," Kyoko said, her voice filled with happiness. "You always know how to make me happy, even by doing some little things." She placed her hand on his cheek. "This is what I like so much about you."
"Well, um…" Visibly a little speechless, the Ultimate Lucky Student tried to find something to say. "I-I do my best… I guess…? I mean, I'm your boyfriend… it's my role to make you happy, right…?"
"Perhaps it is." She shrugged. "But not everyone could do it as well as you do. Actually, I know that no one could. It makes me wonder if I am not failing in that regard. After all, I don't feel like I do all these things for you."
The boy's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "N-No, not at all! Damn, Kyoko, what are you saying?!" he wondered, looking at her with shock printed all over his face. "I know you care about me! Where did that idea come from…? Geez…"
"M-My apologies…" She bowed her head. "I just thought you might believe I was being a little unfair. I'm glad to know it isn't the case."
"Don't apologize over that, Kyoko; it's okay." He smiled at her. "For the record, you're an amazing girlfriend, and I'm glad I'm with you inside this shelter. And maybe you don't realize it, but you do plenty of little things for me, too!"
Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You're just saying this to be nice." Although you wouldn't be Makoto if you weren't nice at all times, I suppose…
"I'm absolutely not!" The boy pouted. "You used to be so cold to everyone, but you've changed now. You know what would make me happier. But well… I guess it's good if you don't even realize all the little things you do for me. It means you do them naturally."
The Ultimate Detective sighed and relented. "Alright, alright, you win. However, I ask that you tell me if you ever feel like I'm not doing enough for you. Does that sound fair?"
Makoto giggled. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell you. But you know, Kyoko, you don't need to overthink things like this all the time. I'm not some sort of case you need to solve."
The girl sweatdropped. I guess not… Still… "For somebody who claims to be average, you're more difficult to get a read on than most, Makoto Naegi. Or a proper read, should I say."
With an embarrassed blush from the Luckster, Kyoko chuckled and kissed him again, relieved to know that her boyfriend appreciated all the little things she might do for him without even realizing it.
"Hiya, Makoto!"
The Special Agent turned around and noticed Hina smiling and waving at him as she entered the cafeteria. He smiled back, happy to see her.
"Hey, Hina! It's good to see you! What brings you here?"
Since they worked in different Divisions, it was pretty rare for the Former Ultimate Swimming Pro to see her former classmates, but there were still times she would take a day off to pay them a visit.
"Well, I thought I'd come to see how everyone was doing, that's all," she answered, opening a cabinet and pulling out a box of donuts. "Ah, neat! They're still here!"
D-Did she… hide donuts here the last time she came…? Makoto wondered, staring with disbelief. "D-Did Division Thirteen run out of donuts or something…?"
The athlete bit into the pastry and quickly swallowed. "Nah, I make sure we always have plenty. I think they understood that I need a lot by now."
The Former Ultimate Lucky Student sweatdropped. "I-I guess they must've, yeah…"
Giggling, Hina refocused on what her friend was doing. "You drink coffee now, Makoto?" she wondered, seeing him wait as the coffee machine made quite a bit of noise.
This made Makoto realize that he had almost been there before. Sure, it wasn't the Future Foundation but the shelter at Hope's Peak, and it wasn't Sayaka but Hina, but there were still some similarities.
"Oh, no, this is not for me," he told her, adding, "It's for Kyoko. I'm done with my paperwork for the day, so I thought I'd pay a visit to her office before heading up home."
Suddenly, Makoto felt very warm as his swimmer friend stared at him with a knowing look in her blue eyes. Thinking back, he should have known better than to mention the reason to Aoi Asahina, of all people.
"Don't say it," Makoto just added, crossing his arms with a pout. "I know you're about to say that I'm in love with Kyoko, but it's not the case. I don't know how many times I'll need to tell you all that…"
"You can fool Kyoko, but you can't fool me, Mr. Naegi!" Hina claimed. "You've already told me that your feelings for her had changed after the memory wipe and all, but I think you're simply in denial!"
"C'mon, I'm just bringing her a cup of coffee… It's not like I'm about to ask her in marriage…" He sweatdropped again, hoping that she would get his point.
However, this was without counting on Hina's determination when it came to her two best friends. There are times Makoto wondered why she cared so much about the status of their relationship.
"It all starts with this! First, you bring her a cup of coffee, then you ask her in marriage!" she argued, taking another bite of her donut. "You start by doing all the little things before you move on to some more serious stuff!"
Makoto's eyes widened. "H-Hey, what do you mean by 'more serious stuff?!'" Geez, I'm not sure if I even want to know!
"Roh, you know exactly what I mean by that!" Hina teased some more, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "I mean, there's a reason Munakata's Division left some cond-"
"I am not having this discussion with anyone right now, and especially not with you, Hina!" the young man exclaimed, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He turned back towards the coffee machine and noticed it had just finished preparing the Division Director's cup. "There, I'll go give this to her."
He grabbed the steaming cup of coffee and began to walk out, but as he did, a mischievous smile smirk appeared on the Special Agent's lips. He usually wasn't the one for teasing, but it was too tempting.
"Go do some 'more serious stuff' with you-know-who, Hina!"
He heard an angry 'hey!' but didn't turn back, knowing that this was only playful banter between close friends.
After all, this was what they all loved Hina for, even if Makoto wished she didn't have to say so many embarrassing things about him…
Somebody knocked, prompting Kyoko to look up from the file she was currently reading and direct her attention towards the door.
I don't think I asked for anyone to bring me anything, so this is definitely a surprise… But a break from all this work can't do me any harm… I'm tired of reading files and filing paperwork all day long… She thought, curiosity winning her over. "Come in!"
She heard the sound of the door opening, revealing her subordinate Makoto on the other side, a cup of coffee in hand.
"Good afternoon, Kyoko," he greeted unprofessionally, knowing that there was no one who could hear them right now, anyway. "I was done with my paperwork, so I thought I'd come say hi. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?"
"Oh, not at all. It's good to see you, Makoto," the Division Director said with a pleased smile. This was the person she needed to see the most in order to relax for a bit before going back to her work. "Please, step inside and have a seat."
She gestured to the chair across from hers, where Makoto sat as he was told.
"I brought you some coffee, by the way," the Former Ultimate Lucky Student explained, placing the cup where there were no papers. "I thought you could need it with how much you've been working recently."
The memory of that time at Hope's Peak quickly flashed before Kyoko's eyes, and while she looked stunned by the similarities at first, it didn't last more than a second. She would draw parallels later, but not right now.
"Thank you, Makoto. I really appreciate that." She grabbed the cup and took a sip. It did wonders for her. "You didn't need to, though. I could have gone to get one myself."
He scratched his head. "Well, I thought you had better things to do," he explained. "I mean, when I see the amount of paperwork you have here, it's pretty clear that it's a lot of work."
Considerate as always… Kyoko mused amusingly, slightly shaking her head. "It is, although it's nothing insurmountable. Besides, I've gotten used to it since we joined the Future Foundation. And I've spent years having to fill paperwork after finishing my cases as a detective, so it's nothing new."
"Lucky you…" Makoto muttered with a sigh. "I don't think I'll ever get used to filling paperwork… It's such a bore!"
It was a well-known fact across Division Fourteen that the Luckster preferred to be on the ground, actually assisting people.
And while Kyoko understood that, she couldn't have her subordinate be on missions all the time, and this for two reasons. Number one: he would eventually be exhausted. Number two: it increased his odds of being attacked by the forces of despair.
The Former Ultimate Detective chuckled. "Try to grin and bear it, alright? And well, I might be used to doing it, but that doesn't mean I actually enjoy it. Filling papers all day long isn't something I would do for a living, believe me…"
"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"But still… This small gesture has given me some motivation back, Makoto," she told her subordinate with another sip of her coffee. "The whole Division appreciates all the little things you do, me, first and foremost. Your enthusiasm and kindness are what make our Division so special, Makoto."
"K-Kyoko…" a red blush appeared across the young man's face almost instantly at the praise. "I… I-I just do what I think is best for everyone, y'know…?"
"Perhaps, but you have a better sense of judgment for what is good than most." Why do I feel like I've already told him something to that effect once…? The young, lavender-haired woman wondered. "And I wish to do more of these little things for you too, Makoto. It is my duty as Branch Leader, and as your friend."
This got the Luckster all emotional, although he managed to hold back the tears. There was something in the way Kyoko looked at him that would always make him emotional. It would remind him that they had shared a special bond and that even if this bond had changed, it was still just as strong.
He didn't know what prompted this, but the genuine sense of protectiveness he felt coming from his boss reassured him that he would be alright. And while she didn't know that, this was worth all the little things she could do for him.
"You're the perfect boss, Kyoko. There's absolutely nothing more I'd have any right to ask out of you. You manage to care for everyone here, even with all the work you need to do and the pressure from Munakata… So don't worry about a thing, okay?"
With one last smile, Kyoko drank the rest of her coffee, happy to know that even if time passed, there are some things that would never change, especially the little things.
The End.
A.N: I hope you liked this second entry! It wasn't easy to come up with an idea for this prompt, but I hope this was good enough. By the way, the second scene took place a few days after Day One, for those who try to keep track of my timeline (good luck lmao). Please leave a review, and I'll see you all tomorrow for Day Three!